Drawstring potty chair liner and related method

ABSTRACT

A drawstring potty chair liner includes a composite sheet of material having an absorbent layer and a liquid barrier, and a drawstring extending around a periphery of the sheet and accessible at opposite sides thereof. The sheet is placed into the bowl of a potty chair with the water resistant side facing the bowl. After the potty chair is used, the drawstrings are drawn up to enclose waste within the sheet with the water resistant side out. The sheet can then be discarded or transported over a toilet, opened and emptied, or otherwise discarded.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 61/352,427, filed on Jun. 8, 2010, the contents of which are hereinincorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to children's potty chairs, and moreparticularly, to disposable liners for potty chairs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

While little children are generally a source of joy for their parents,one notable exception is potty training. The transition from diapers totoilets is often a trial for parents and children. Potty chairs havebeen used from time immemorial as an intermediate step in thattransition. While potty chairs can make things easier on the child, theparents may be loathe to clean the chair after use.

To ease the clean-up burden for pet owners in areas with restrictions onpet waste, it has been proposed to encourage a pet to defecate onto adrawstring sheet, which can then be drawn up to enclose the pet waste.Examples of such sheets can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,900 and U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0005891.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a drawstring potty chair liner and related method. According toan embodiment of the present invention, a drawstring potty chair linerincludes a composite sheet of material having an absorbent layer and aliquid barrier, and a drawstring extending around a periphery of thesheet and accessible at opposite sides thereof. According to a methodaspect, the sheet is placed into the bowl of a potty chair with thewater resistant side facing the bowl. After the potty chair is used, thedrawstrings are drawn up to enclose waste within the sheet with thewater resistant side out. The sheet can then be discarded or transportedover a toilet, opened and emptied. According to another embodiment ofthe present invention, a potty chair and liner combination includes boththe potty chair and the potty chair liner arranged in a bowl thereof.

These and other aspects, objects and advantages of the present inventionwill be better appreciated in view of the drawings and followingdetailed description of a preferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a drawstring potty liner, with hidden componentsshown in broken lines, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the liner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the liner of FIG. 1, placed into a pottychair bowl; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the liner of FIG. 1, removed from thepotty chair bowl after use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a drawstring potty chair liner 10 includes acomposite sheet 12 and a drawstring 14. The composite sheet 12 ispreferably approximately round and dimensioned to conform to the shapeof an average potty chair, although the shape and dimensions can beadapted as necessary for a given potty chair.

The composite sheet 12 has a first side 18 and a second side 20. Thefirst side 18 preferably includes an absorbent material, to facilitateurine absorption and to minimize splashing. The second side 20preferably includes a liquid barrier to prevent liquid waste frompenetrating the second side 20. The absorbent material of the first side18 can include a plurality of absorbent layers 22 above the second side.Some or all of the absorbent layers 22 can be localized to the center ofthe sheet 12.

The drawstring 14 extends around a periphery of the sheet 12, preferablybetween the first and second sides 18, 20. Alternately, the drawstringcan be stitched in and out of the first side, or arranged in anotherfashion around the periphery that still permits a drawing action. Thedrawstring 14 has substantially opposed handles 24 that can be graspedby a user from outside the sheet 12.

In use, referring to FIG. 3, the potty chair liner 10 is placed over andinto the bowl of a potty chair 30 with the second side 20 generallyfacing the bowl and the first side 18 generally facing away from thebowl. Edges of the liner 10 extend out of the bowl to help retain theliner 10 in place during use. If desired, and depending on theparticular potty chair, a removable seat 32 can subsequently be placedover the liner 10.

Referring to FIG. 4, after the potty chair 30 has been used, the handles24 of the drawstring 14 are grasped and pulled outwards. As result, thesheet 12 is drawn up and around any waste deposited in the potty chair30 bowl. The liner 10 is then removed and discarded. If desired, theliner 10 can be re-opened to empty the contents into a toilet.

In general, the foregoing description is provided for exemplary andillustrative purposes; the present invention is not necessarily limitedthereto. Rather, those skilled in the art will appreciate thatadditional modifications, as well as adaptations for particularcircumstances, will fall within the scope of the invention as hereinshown and described and of the claims appended hereto.

1. A method of using a potty chair, the method comprising: arranging apotty chair liner in a bowl of the potty chair to catch waste depositedin the bowl; drawing the potty chair liner up and around the depositedwaste; and removing the potty chair liner and the deposited waste fromthe bowl.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the potty chair linerincludes an absorbent material and arranging the potty chair liner inthe bowl includes arranging the potty chair liner in the bowl with theabsorbent material generally facing away from the bowl.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the potty chair liner includes a liquid barrier, andarranging the potty chair liner in the bowl includes arranging the pottychair liner in the bowl with the liquid barrier generally facing thebowl.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the potty chair liner includes acomposite sheet, having a first side including an absorbent material anda second side including a liquid barrier, and arranging the potty chairliner in the bowl includes arranging the potty chair liner in the bowlwith the second side generally facing the bowl.
 5. The method of claim1, wherein the potty chair liner includes a drawstring extending arounda periphery thereof, and drawing the potty chair liner up and around thedeposited waste includes pulling on the drawstring.
 6. The method ofclaim 5, wherein the drawstring includes a pair of generally opposedhandles, and pulling on the drawstring includes pulling outwardly on thehandles.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein arranging the potty chairliner in the bowl includes arranging the potty chair liner in the bowlwith edges thereof extending out of the bowl to help retain the liner inplace during use.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranginga potty chair seat on the potty chair over the potty chair liner.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the potty chair liner includes a compositesheet and a drawstring extending around a periphery thereof, thecomposite sheet having a first side including an absorbent material anda second side including a liquid barrier, arranging the potty chairliner in the bowl includes arranging the potty chair liner in the bowlwith the second side generally facing the bowl, and drawing the pottychair liner up and around the deposited waste includes pulling on thedrawstring.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the drawstring includes apair of generally opposed handles, and pulling on the drawstringincludes pulling outwardly on the handles.
 11. The method of claim 9,wherein arranging the potty chair liner in the bowl includes arrangingthe potty chair liner in the bowl with edges thereof extending out ofthe bowl to help retain the liner in place during use.
 12. The method ofclaim 11, further comprising arranging a potty chair seat on the pottychair over the potty chair liner.
 13. A potty chair and linercombination comprising: a potty chair for use by a child including abowl for receiving waste from the child; a potty chair liner arranged inthe bowl to catch the waste deposited therein and configured to be drawnup and around the waste and removed from the bowl.
 14. The combinationof claim 13, wherein the potty chair further includes a potty chair seatarranged over the potty chair liner.
 15. The combination of claim 13,wherein the potty chair liner includes a composite sheet, having a firstside including an absorbent material facing generally away from the bowland a second side including a liquid barrier facing generally toward thebowl.
 16. The combination of claim 13, wherein the potty chair linerincludes a drawstring extending around a periphery thereof to facilitatedrawing the potty chair liner up and around the waste.
 17. Thecombination of claim 16, wherein the drawstring includes at least afirst handle accessible for grasping.
 18. The combination of claim 17,wherein the drawstring further includes a second handle generallyopposite to the first handle.
 19. The combination of claim 13, whereinthe potty chair liner includes: a composite sheet, having a first sideincluding an absorbent material facing generally away from the bowl anda second side including a liquid barrier facing generally toward thebowl; and a drawstring extending around a periphery thereof tofacilitate drawing the potty chair liner up and around the waste. 20.The combination of claim 19, wherein the drawstring includes a pair ofgenerally opposed handles accessible for grasping.